The Denver Broncos have had a very significant and successful 2023 NFL Free Agency period thus far. They've added starters on both sides of the ball and made huge upgrades at positions of need, but are they done spending? It would seem, based on some of the rumors that have been coming out lately, that they are most definitely not done just yet.
As many free agents as the Denver Broncos have signed, up to this point, it seems they have also missed out on a number of free agents as well. We perhaps don't know of all deals that have not gotten done or perhaps have fallen through, but the Broncos have missed out on some big-name players in the first week of free agency.
Let's take a look at some of the ones we know they had interest in before they signed with other teams.
Denver Broncos missed out on WR Adam Thielen
Since this one is the freshest on the brain, let's talk about it. The Denver Broncos were reportedly in on wide receiver Adam Thielen after he was released from the Vikings, per the man himself. Thielen appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and revealed that the Broncos and Cowboys were among the other teams most interested in him, which certainly makes you wonder...
Given all the trade rumors floating around Broncos Country these days regarding wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton, the Broncos' interest in Thielen is noteworthy. But what are we supposed to make of this? Would the Broncos have signed Thielen and then traded Sutton for whatever they could get?
It's clear that the new staff in Denver is wanting to shake up the wide receiver position a little bit. They're not satisfied with the status quo there, nor should they be. It has been a horrendous handful of years in a row for the Broncos at receiver with injuries to all of their top four guys leading to lineups that have included all of Kendall Hinton, Brandon Johnson, Freddie Swain, and Jalen Virgil. All due respect to those guys, the Broncos might need players who are more reliable in terms of their availability, and Thielen has certainly been that.
Unfortunately for Denver, he's now in Carolina. The connection to GM George Paton was obviously there, and we know that Sean Payton has also long been a fan of Thielen's game. He coached Thielen, once upon a time, in the Pro Bowl.